Rent-to-own mobile home park to open soon in Arcata; 'Sandpiper' to offer 16 low-income homes

Sandpiper Mobile Home Park is in the final stage of a years-long rebuilding project, with residents expected to be able to move in by Oct. 1.

The park will offer homes for low-income people that are seeking to buy in Arcata.

Maurice Priest, president of Resident Owned Parks, a nonprofit that owns Sandpiper, plans to transfer ownership of the park to its residents once the loans needed to build the park are repaid.

He said for 50 years of Sandpiper's existence, it was a mix of travel trailers and other semi-permanent homes, "none of which were particularly attractive in the community."

In 2006, the owners of Sandpiper approached ROP with the idea of selling them the park. They were ready to retire and had talked to the residents about ROP.

"It was kind of an unusual start," Priest said, adding that most park owners are businesspeople looking to maximize their profits from any sale.

ROP purchased the site but ran into delays while seeking approval for the project from the California Coastal Commission.

Vacancies in the Arcata Mobile Home Park, which is also owned by ROP, were offered to residents of Sandpiper who planned to return after it was rebuilt.

Arcata City Councilwoman Alex Stillman said that some residents were frustrated by years of delays in the rebuilding process.

"That's just sort of how it is when you have to go through the different regulatory agencies," Stillman said.

The city first approved the project six years ago, Stillman said, and she was happy to see it near completion.

With loans from the City of Arcata, ROP is putting 16 manufactured homes and an apartment building on the site.

"Housing in Arcata is expensive and there's not enough of it," Priest said. New homes at Sandpiper will cost $59,900, plus utilities and rent. The rental cost of park spaces will be regulated by the city.

"It just can't get any better than that," Priest said.

According to the city's home ownership program guide, qualified low-income applicants are based on income limits published by the California Department of Housing and Community Development each year. Under current guidelines, a one-person household would have to make $32,440 or less per year to qualify for the city homeowner's program.

Community Development Director Larry Oetker said Sandpiper Mobile Home Park is another part of the city's ongoing first-time homebuyer program that helps low-income people get affordable mortgages on homes.

Oetker said people will be able to get on an ownership path for approximately $550 per month.

Oetker said the city loaned ROP $2.3 million from funds dedicated to housing. Resident rents will repay loans and when the mortgages are paid off, ROP plans to transfer the debt-free title to a homeowners association.

Stillman expects Sandpiper will fill quickly.

"Arcata has really high prices on their housing," she said.

In addition, she said it's a community-minded development in a good location, between the Arcata Marsh and the Plaza.

"I think it's going to be a wonderful addition," Stillman said.

Anyone interested in applying for tenancy at Sandpiper Mobile Home Park can contact Pamela Thomas at Resident Owned Parks at 800-655-6600 or via email at ropadministration@att.net.